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Thursday, February 21, 2013

Vegetable Tempeh Curry

Last year, Ryan and I started experimenting with Indian spices and flavors. Our favorite dish, which is also the most popular, is Tikka Masala. Unfortunately, this is not a very forgiving dish for the waistline. In true Jessica Kettler fashion, I embarked on a journey to recreate the recipe so my beloved husband and I can enjoy it and not feel so guilty!

Curry is a flavor that I am much more comfortable cooking with now after posting a few recipes on the blog:

Searching through several recipes didn't leave me with a good sense of basic ingredients that I could easily substitute for healthier ones. I increased my search and came across a curry recipe on 101 Cookbooks that resembled the taste and texture of Tikka Masala sauce that I was looking to mimic. This was the perfect starting point since I love both Heidi's writing style and recipes. Obviously the biggest difference here is that there is no meat! I thought the tempeh was a great substitution for a veggie-friendly dish. However, chicken could easily be substituted in (see notes below).

Vegetable Tempeh Curry

4 cups of vegetables (suggestions: cauliflower, sugar snap peas, broccoli, zucchini, Brussels sprouts)½ yellow onion1 large shallot1 T ghee (or butter)1 T olive oil2 tsp ground cumin2 tsp curry powder½ tsp turmeric1 tsp cayenne (reduce amount for less heat)1 15.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes (no salt added)¼ cup water2 tsp red curry paste½ tsp salt¼ cup plain Greek yogurt2 Portabella mushroom caps, cut into ½-inch pieces8 ounces tempeh, cut into ½-inch piecesTo prep ingredients, start with the vegetables. Steam the four cups of vegetables until almost to the desired doneness.
In a small bowl, blend the cumin, curry powder, turmeric and cayenne.In another small bowl, combine the red curry paste and water and stir until well combined. In a large skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil, add the onion and shallot. Cook over medium heat until slightly translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in the spice mixture, then after about 30 seconds, stir in the tomatoes, red curry water mixture, and ½ tsp salt. Remove from heat, stir in the yogurt and blend with a hand blender. Note: you might need to transfer it to a bowl to puree, then return it to the skillet.Once the curry is back in the pan, add the mushroom and tempeh and bring to a low simmer. Let this cook for 5 minutes and then stir in the steamed vegetables until everything is coated in the curry sauce. Cook another 5 minutes covered on low heat.

Note: If using chicken, sauté in the large skillet with heated olive oil until mostly cooked through. Remove from the skillet and set aside. Don't wash out the skillet and then melt the butter in the olive oil and cook the onions and shallots.This can be served over fresh spinach, quinoa, couscous, any type of rice or with a toasted piece of naan.

About Me

Hi! I’m Jessica Kettler and I married Ryan in 2011! I love everything about cooking and luckily found a man that loves EVERYTHING about eating. Herein lies the issue, when he wants steak and potatoes, I crave kale and quinoa. So with a new last name and chapter starting in my life, I decided to create Kettler Cuisine – new and healthy recipes that satiate both our appetites. After all, they do say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Enjoy!